Crappie USA travels to Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland for April event

Cabela’s Crappie USA (CUSA) has its sights set on Lake Cumberland for a two day Super Event. The April 8 – 9, 2016 contest will host some of the best crappie anglers in the nation as they compete for a minimum payback of $10,000.00 in cash, prizes.

Lake Cumberland is deep and challenging lake to fish for crappies. Anglers will have to be on their A-game. It is reported that a lot of brush has grown up on the shorelines during a low water period while dam repair was underway. That structure will be submerged and offer great cover for some springtime crappie.

The Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources rates Lake Cumberland as “Good” for crappie fishing. They report slabs of 12 inches and larger are available to anglers in 2016.

The pre-tournament seminar will be held on Thursday evening April 7th at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 50 Stevie Lynn Drive, Somerset, KY. Sign up will begin at 5:00 pm with the meeting and a National Sponsor Field Test Product Drawing starting at 7:00 pm local time. This seminar is open to the public. Those not fishing the event are encourage to come out to this meeting and meet the top crappie anglers in the region.

The public is also invited and encouraged to attend the weigh-in each day. The tournament weigh-ins will be held on Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th at General Burnside State Park Ramp, 8801 S. US 27, Burnside, KY beginning at 3:00 pm. This is the perfect opportunity for non-competitors to come and learn how the big ones are caught. Interviews of the top 5 teams will be conducted after the weigh in.

The Somerset-Pulaski County Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Burnside Tourism and Kentucky Sports Authority welcomes all Crappie USA anglers and their guest to the area and invite them to take the opportunity to enjoy the many attractions the area provides. More information on the area can be found through following contacts:

Interested anglers can enter by filling out and sending in an entry form or by registering on the CUSA website at http://www.crappieusa.com before the deadline listed on the form or by calling our office at (502) 384-5924. Teams may also enter at the pre-tournament seminar on Thursday night. All late entries will be subject to a $20.00 late fee.

American Crappie Association (ACA) membership is required to fish in CUSA tournaments. A space is provided on the entry form for you to become a member (see below). Teams may consist of one or two partners. Teams may have a third partner if third partner is under the age of 16. Pole limits for three-partner teams will be the same as two-partner teams.

Entry fees in all qualifying tournaments are $125.00 per team in the Amateur Division and $250.00 in the Professional Division. There is an optional $20.00 (Per Team) Big Fish Pot. All participants must be a member of the ACA to fish these events. ACA membership is $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for spouse and youth memberships. Each membership will include a subscription to the official publication of Crappie USA, one of the top crappie fishing publications in the nation.

Kayak anglers have their own division and compete against other Kayak anglers only. Entry fee is $50.00. There is an optional $20.00 Big Fish Pot. The Kayak Division is for individual anglers, one angler per Kayak. People powered Kayaks only, no motors. PFD to be worn at all times while on the water. Three (3) live fish limit. Scoring will be by the C.P.R. (catch, photo, release) method. Awards in the Kayak division will be 100% of entry fees, paid to the top three places. Big Fish in the Kayak division will pay back 100% of the Big Fish Pot. Awards in the Kayak division at the Classic will be completely rigged Kayaks and cash to the top 20% of the Kayak field. Top three placing Kayak anglers at local and super events will advance to the Classic in the Kayak division. ACA membership is required to fish Crappie USA event.

Crappie USA offers a great bonus to the community in the form of a Free Crappie Kids Rodeo. It is held in conjunction with the tournament on Saturday morning at Ruckels Pay Lake & Restaurant, Hwy 27 & 70, Eubank, KY. Sign up for the Kids Rodeo will be at 8:00 am with the rodeo from 9:00 am till 11:00 am. The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for children of the area to get out and enjoy nature, do a little fishing and win some prizes. The event is free to all children 12 and under with all participants eligible for a chance to win one of the six, Crappie USA $1,000.00 scholarships to be awarded at the 2016 Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic.

Crappie USA and their participating anglers have contributed nearly $334,000.00 to the “Crappie Kids” Scholarships since 1997. They consider it a part of their educational outreach for the youngsters who participate in the tournaments as adult/youth teams and those who fish in the Crappie USA “Kids Fishing Rodeos”.

The Crappie Kids Free Fishing Rodeo has grown in many cities to be a major attraction drawing as many as 350 or more children from surrounding areas to compete for prizes and the chance to win one of the six $1,000.00 “Crappie Kids” Scholarships. It is important to note that participating children must be accompanied by an adult.

Anglers in the Super Event will have a chance to advance to the 2016 Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic. A total of 54 teams will qualify during the year to compete at The Classic event that will be held October 27 – 29, 2016 on KY & Barkley Lakes at Paris, Tennessee. Details can be found on their website at: www.crappieusa.com. They also have a Crappie USA Tournament Trail Facebook Page where tournament results and photos can be found.